The disclosure relates generally to optical communication cables and more particularly to tools and methods for mass fusion splicing of the optical fibers in those cables. Demand is growing for higher fiber count cables and/or higher density of optical fibers in a single cable. As cable prices have decreased over the years, cable installation costs have continued to increase. Accordingly, there is a desire to put more fibers in the same space in order to reduce total installed costs. The trend is toward smaller diameter cables and/or the most fibers possible that can fit inside a given diameter duct space. One option for cable manufacturers to meet this demand is with ribbon cables having densely stacked ribbons of optical fibers or solutions that rely on rollable ribbon concepts, which incorporate, for example, intermittent webs lightly tacking the fibers together to create flexible ribbons that can be more easily rolled to conform to high density packing in a cable jacket or duct. Moreover, new optical fiber designs, in particular those having smaller outside diameters, such as 200 μm optical fibers, are available for use in these ribbon cables. Replacing the larger 250 μm fibers that have been used in conventional ribbon cables can allow even denser fiber counts in cables having the same or smaller size parameters as those conventional ribbon cables.
However, a key customer value for these cables remains the desire that the fibers can still be mass fusion spliced, for example in units of 12. In addition, the ability to mass fusion splice twelve 200 μm to twelve 250 μm fibers is required to enable successful integration of these new cables into existing network infrastructures.